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Historic Girls Baseball Team a Success Story Thanks to MN Twins
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- Historic Girls Baseball Team a Success Story Thanks to MN Twins
Brittany Schneider
The big league team for the Minnesota Twins may not be playing well . The ownership group has also caused frustration . That doesn't mean there aren't still good things happening in Twins Territory.
Back in February the franchise announced intentions of putting together a 14-and-under girls baseball team with the intention of competing in the 2025 Baseball For All National Tournament. The effort was possible thanks to the great work done by the Minnesota Twins Community Fund .
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Last month the reality of all their hard work came together. A group of girls stormed Reno, Nevada and the franchise certainly has something to be proud of.
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Groundbreaking success for MN Twins girls baseball team
On July 13 the Minnesota Twins hosted their 14-and-under girls baseball team as a sendoff prior to their 2025 BFA Nationals tournament the following weekend. The Twins became the first MLB team to full fund a youth girls team. Chelsey Falzone , manager of youth engagement for the Twins, coached alongside Emma Charlesworth-Seiler and Brittany Schneider.
"To be in Reno, playing with a full teams of girls, playing against other girls across the entire country, is cool. To add a cherry on top, we all get to wear the Minnesota Twins jerseys? That's incredible…I think this tournament re-lit a fire in me that has always been there, but this tournament reminded me how fierce female athletes are."
Once they landed it was the start of something special. The was making history already by having the backing of a Major League Baseball franchise. To then go out on the field and perform only made it that much more special.
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Playing together for the first time together, the team won their first game 19-4. The final two girls arrived just before first pitch, but the universal language of baseball was enough to have them ready to roll. Winning game two 3-1, they had generated early momentum.
They found adversity in their third game of the tournament after blowing a 12-0 lead and taking a loss. Fighting back though, the response was a 12-1 victory in game four, and advancing from pool play with the third-overall seed.
A 12-5 win started the final bracket off hot, and they exacted revenge on the top seed (that had previously comeback to grab the win) by a 15-4 margin. A championship victory alluded them, but the week could not have been a greater success.
MN Twins 14U girls baseball team showed up in the biggest way
The 14U team not only held their own, but advanced to the championship game. While they came up short in the contest, it was the impact and message they were sending that meant so much more. It was baseball these girls wanted to play, and it was baseball that they competed in alongside more than 500 girls from across the country.
"This week has meant more to me than I can articulate. We decided to put a girls baseball team together at the 14U age level and WOW. I'm so glad we did. We won 6 games in the hot Nevada sun, competed in the championship, and finished second in the 14U Majors bracket, often facing teams that play together throughout the year. The first time we played together as a full team was this Monday. And look what we did!!!! The Minnesota Twins believe girls belong in baseball and we are not done proving it. I'm so proud of these baseball players, so thankful for their families, and so thankful for mine. These athletes are competitors and we are just getting started. GO TWINS!!!!!!!!!!"
These young women, and their coaches, believed in an opportunity and went after it. While they were assembled on the fly, they quickly learned how to play together, communicate, and strive towards a common goal.
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The Minnesota Twins have long been committed to putting on free camps and fostering the sport throughout the community. St. Paul's own Toni Stone is displayed at Target Field, and the hope is that more initiatives like this one can create the next barrier breaker as well.
Credit: Minnesota Twins – Target Field
You can bet this won't be a fleeting pursuit for the franchise, or anyone involved with this team. It's just the beginning of something that can mean and impact so many more. Baseball truly is an amazing thing, and there's a place for women too.
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